Stout dingy or grey-green perennial herb, often ± purplish suffused, 0.3–1.2 m., branched from near the base upwards with long, ascending branches, or in taller forms often branched only above.. Stem and branches narrowly sulcate, the raised striae ± furnished with divergent, short scabrid hairs or finally ± glabrescent in advanced fruit.. Basal leaves ± 10–50 × 9–19 cm., lamina broadly oblong-elliptic to oblong-ovate, 1–2-pinnatisect, the pinnae broadly decurrent along the rhachis, simple to pinnatisect with 1–2 pairs of pinnules; lobes oblong to elliptic, ± 0.7–8 × 0.5–3 cm., irregularly denticulate, prominently nerved, ± densely covered with short scabrid hairs, sometimes ± glabrescent in fruit; petiole none in short forms, up to 30 cm. in tall ones, sheath short and broad to narrow and tapering, striate, scabrid to subglabrous; stem leaves usually sessile, rapidly reducing in size, pinnatisect or trisect, more rarely the uppermost simple and bract-like.. Inflorescence polygamous; umbels with 10–18 subequal to very unequal scabrid, sulcate rays 1–5 cm. long; involucre of 4–10 linear to lanceolate, 3–18 mm., ciliate bracts; partial umbels ± 10–35-flowered, pedicels scabrid, 2–7 mm.; involucel of 4–10 linear to elliptic, 2–15 mm., ciliate bracteoles; peduncles 6–14 cm., sulcate, scabrid-hairy.. Calyx distinct, persistent, in fruit divergent or incurved, teeth lanceolate, ± 0.75 mm.. Petals purplish black to brown, yellow, yellowish green or white, glabrous, ± 1.25 mm., with branched brownish vittae, broadly obovate-obcordate.. Ovary prominently ridged, covered with small low whitish verruculae.. Fruit glabrous but shallowly verruculose (less apparent in mature fruit), brownish, elliptic-obovate, ± 5–9 × 5–7 mm., rounded above and below or slightly emarginate at the apex, margins thick, fertile centre ± 2.5 mm. wide; commissural vittae 2, long, sometimes rather obscured by overlying tissue; stylopodia conical, purplish; styles very short, divergent, shorter than the stylopodia, glabrous; carpophore deeply divided.
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